In Your Image
by crossandwing
Summary: The pilots have all accepted Preventer positions, but Duo has not kept a close relationship with any of them. So how should he react when he's called in on a mission with the guys, or when he finds out that his mission involves finding and rescuing Heero?
1. Mission Accepted

_Disclaimer: I don't think anybody cares about anything except whether or not there is money being made here. There isn't...Not one cent. Leave my wallet alone._

_Notes: 2+1, 1x2, some slight Relena bashing that may or may not get resolved. R&R is much appreciated! I give you hugs in advance! It feeds the Muse (Muse is starving. Please feed her...him...it?). Enjoy!_

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In Your Image

Shit.

Another day, another mission. Never thought that I'd be caught in a situation that demanded the five of us to be shacked up in the same place. Usually, Une tries to keep us apart, you know, to prevent situations that may end up with all of us falling into the proverbial frying pan. Not that we couldn't handle any damn situation any baddie could toss at us...really. But apparently this time, the strategists claimed to require some intense firepower...or each of our skills to successfully complete their looney schemes. The latter, quite frankly, scares the living hell out of me since most of the time they use all five of us, I have to haul out of a firefight with my ass three seconds away from being well done or pumped full of holes. Although...that first option, under appropriate circumstances, doesn't sound too bad.

Down Maxwell, down. You have to remember you're heading towards the safe house from hell. Don't expect any play until the job's done.

Don't get me wrong. The guys have they're heart in the right place, but they can be a little too anal about certain things like the mission, which supplies to get, chores,...me shutting up and leaving them alone. The only one with half a decent personality would be Quatre. Hell, but it's not so much that he's a walking party as it is that he's the only other damn pilot that knows how to speak...at least that I know of. Sometimes I get the feeling that he doesn't think the world of me either, you know, two different worlds: filthy rich and dirt poor; but given the other options in the house, it seemed he deemed me the best out of the four to rely on for conversation.

In approaching the safe house, which is located in the middle of a wooded area (how cliché...I wonder who keeps picking them), the first person I came across was Wufei. Of course, never the idle Dragon, he was in the middle of his morning kata routine. Even though I was pretty sure he had already seen me, I slowed my steps so that I could watch a little longer before he stopped to greet me. Hell...if you could call a derisive sniff and a curt nod much of a greeting. Despite his arrogance, even I have to acknowledge Wufei's abilities as top class. Sometimes he's so good he makes me forget what an asshole he is and I begin to concentrate on the graceful movements made by the compact muscle of his exposed torso. Man did Wufei love to work out shirtless. The morbid little chunk of my brain responsible for my extremely healthy libido suggests that he does it to tease the hell out of everyone...that is, until the logical side reminds me of his heterosexual nature. Great...

Just as I expected, a few paces later Wufei paused in his movements, a sheen of sweat coating his face, neck, and torso; and looked directly at me. Well, shit...if I didn't just sit there and stare. It was all I could damn well do not to visibly swallow and drool. Down, Maxwell, down. Wufei took a slow, steady breath and gave that cold little nod and that damn derisive sniff as he turned away again to finish up. At least I didn't have to worry about my libido anymore.

"Hey, Wufei," I managed, biting back the bitter taste of anger and road travel, and headed straight up the steps leading to the front door.

Inside, I could already tell that Quatre had gotten there. For one thing, I saw a teacup steaming on the coffee table in, from what I could tell was the living room. What sealed the deal? Said teacup was resting on a doily neatly folded to work as a coaster. As if on cue, a smooth, pale hand reached from a place the wall blocked, probably a couch, and wrapped around the handle. Walking toward the room, I found that my guess was right since there he was, sipping his tea silently, reading a book with an almost nonchalant gaze. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd read that damn book before...leave it to Quatre to make me feel like gutter trash without even knowing I'm around.

"Hey, Quat, whatcha reading there," I asked as I tossed by duffle bag next to the sofa opposite of his chair and plopped myself right in.

"Oh, Duo! I didn't know you were here!" He graced me with one of those warm, infectious smiles that he's so good at and set his book aside. "I haven't seen you in a while. What has it been?" He tapped his lips with one finger in thought. "About three years?"

"Yup sounds about right," I grinned. Of course I didn't expect what happened next. One minute I'm playing the game "polite conversation" and the next, bam, my arms are full of Quatre. He just launched himself at me and the shock I was experiencing didn't allow me any other action but to return the embrace, if not as fervently. After a few moments, I tapped his back and cautiously asked, "Hey man, you alright?"

Quatre then removed himself from my arms and reseated himself in the chair, fixing the collar on his shirt. "Sorry Duo," he responded, his smile beaming, "It's just so good to see you!" He smoothed some imaginary wrinkles from his light pink button down shirt and tentatively asked, "When were you planning on contacting us?"

Okay...what? I certainly hadn't expected that. Hell, I didn't think we were that close in the war. I mean sure we all agreed to wear a Preventers uniform after -- I mean, what other job is going to pay that well without a college degree? -- but that didn't mean that we saw each other on a regular basis. Seven years since the Marimeia incident and I'd only seen everyone together about five times. This would be the sixth, but who was counting? Well, of course, that didn't count the handful of times I was teamed up with them individually for special assignments. Other than that, we pretty much stayed out of each other's way. Even when Une offered me a transfer to L1 so that I could partner up with Wufei or Trowa, I decided to stay on L2 with Hilde to help her manage the salvage yard on my off days. The others, I believe, went their separate ways as well. So what was the big deal if I didn't contact them? Psh, I didn't exactly see them going out of their way to hunt my ass down, so it really shouldn't have mattered. Really...

So why did I feel like I had the last foot of braid shoved down my throat? "Uh, sorry, Quat. I guess things just got busy back in L2. A while back, the main communication satellite got damaged so it was pretty tough to get a vid through without crossing lines in the lesser servers." I chuckled dryly. "So what have you been up to? You gonna tell me what this top secret mission's supposed to be about or what?"

A frustrated sigh fell from his lips and a pale hand ran through his messy golden locks, "So you haven't been debriefed?"

"Hehe, not since my last shower," I joked and was surprised to see Quatre blush.

"I-I didn't mean tha-"

"I know what you meant," I chuckled more sincerely. Now I remembered why he was my preferred pilot back in the days. No matter how old the joke got, it managed to make him jump and stutter over his words just as it did the first time he heard it. "Just tell me about the mission."

"We'll take care of that when everyone gets here," a third voice said, and I all but fell off the damned sofa. I swiveled around to see Trowa leaning against the doorjamb to the hallway, his arms crossed carelessly across his chest, as if he'd been there for a while.

"Trowa! You're awake!" Quatre practically exploded. If I thought his smile was bright before, I really didn't expect it go intensify ten fold when our favorite unibang made his unannounced appearance. Quite honestly, I was shocked because, damn, if that wasn't a look a recognized. I mean, I never figured Quatre to swing on my side of the fence since the more "obvious flamers" are more often found straight than not. I guess I thought it was too obvious to be true, or the pampered life with too damn many older sisters bred a childlike demeanor for him...apparently not. Children, at least the ones I've seen, don't give looks like that. What I hadn't expected was Trowa's low chuckle responding to Quatre's more-than-obvious interest in him. At that point, I couldn't help but wonder, 'Did I miss something?' Maybe three years of withdrawing completely had been too long.

I mean, my libido -- in case you haven't noticed -- is pretty damn healthy. Whether it's pitching or catching, I'm not really picky, as long as my lover is up for the Maxwellian challenge. Now, had I known that these two played ball my way, hell, I bet the war would have been a lot more interesting and a lot less stressful. I sure as hell would have had a different opinion about shacking up with them in a safe house...very different.

Don't get me wrong. I'm proud to say I'm not a loose man-whore. I take pride in my lovers; whom I choose to take or to take me. My taste runs very strictly and usually falls for the dark, brooding types. Well...not necessarily...they just have to look like they're the dark, brooding type. You know...dark hair, golden skin, strong built, icy glare and, well, if he just happens to be brooding...

Sound like someone?

Okay, I admit that my attraction to Heero was what made this mission seem both appealing and appalling. The guy can be a condescending asshole without even grunting, he's anal retentive, and has a temper fuse that's short enough to make Wufei look like Sister Helen, but face it...the guy is a wet dream dressed in a tank top, spandex, and tacky yellow shoes. Well, not all the time. We did room together so I got the occasional eye-candy whenever he stepped out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel, and I can tell you, the guy looks way better out of those clothes. Way better.

The room suddenly felt a little warm.

Of course, the appalling part is not at all about his stoic tendencies. It's because the last time I saw everyone, Heero and I had a huge disagreement and hadn't spoken since.

The time that had passed since I'd last saw him suddenly felt longer than what I remembered. After the war, it was very difficult for me to forget about him, not that I could ever completely forget. There was the occasional dream, but I would just bite it back and get to work, just like in the war. It had been a long time since I had allowed myself to really think about him, but I realized he still had the same effect on my heart as he did in my pants. Yes, Maxwell had it bad in the war, and it still hurt to think about it. Especially since the last time I heard, he was dating Relena 'Queen-of-the-fucking-world' Bitchcraft.

That girl has a tendency to really twist my balls. Sometimes, I like to believe that she does it on purpose (Then again...I'm pretty sure that she would rather be concentrating on Heero's to even think about messing with mine). Hell, right from the beginning, she got me on the wrong side of the tracks with Heero. To this day, I really can't believe he let me live after shooting him twice. Anyway, Relena managed to get continuously rescued, a teddy bear, and -- oh yea -- Heero's eternal devotion while loud-mouthed, annoying street-rat Duo Maxwell gets death-threats, a free vandalization of his Gundam, and one hell of a punch in the gut. Oh, and did I mention she's the reason Heero and I got into that huge argument? Surprise, surprise, right? She was basically forcing him to remain her damned bodyguard even after he decided to finally lay down his gun. At our last get together, I made the mistake of bad mouthing "Little Miss Perfect" and damn, if we weren't just one hair away from raising fists. Psh, trust me, if you had seen the look on Heero's face that day...you'd be shitting your pants too. I sure as hell almost did. All because of Relena, and you wonder why I feel the way I feel.

Don't get me wrong, I spent a good chunk of my life protecting that girl. Still do and I can confidently say that I would risk my life for her and her ideals. That is, unless that goal is Heero. But apparently she didn't have to try too hard to reach that one.

"Duo, are you alright," Trowa asked and snapped me out of my thoughts. His gaze was concerned so I know I must have had that bitter, pinched look on my face when I'm royally pissed off about something.

But no need to sour the mood. I gave both him and Quatre a crooked smile and said, "Sure thing, I guess I'm just a little tired from the trip. Une contacted me just as I got back from a stake out...A long, painful one. I didn't even have time to get debriefed," I shot Quatre a cheeky wink to see if he would blush. He did. "-- before I had to pack up and haul my ass over here."

"Why did you accept the assignment if you didn't know what it was?" Trowa asked, looking at me from behind that impossible wall of hair in front of his face. It wouldn't be the first time that I wondered how he piloted so well with such a hindrance to his depth perception.

"Well, first of all, Une didn't give me much of a choice," I raked a hand through my messy bangs, "but mostly, I was just curious as to what you guys were up to. Quat, here, was just reminding me of the amount of time that's passed since we've visited. This would be a good opportunity to catch up...even though I am a little worried about what type of crazy shit they're gonna get us into this time."

Quatre was delighted at the idea of catching up and Trowa seemed to accept my answer as well, chuckling lightly. Well, at least I was still on their good side.

But apparently, I speak too soon because at that moment, Wufei chose to walk in -- yes, sweaty, bunching muscles and all -- and frown at me. Now that I saw him up close, I could see that he had grown quite a bit. His frame wasn't as slim, and the smooth muscle that I was so accustomed to seeing had hardened and become thicker. Wufei is a manly guy and now his body, matured, had testosterone levels that finally caught up to his persona. In that moment, I would swear that even Heero would be shaking in his boots if Wufei was in a sparring mood. He'd definitely grown up.

Now that I think about it, Trowa and Quatre did quite a bit of their own growing up. Quatre, although it was hidden at first by his innocent demeanor, had grown taller, although he remained shorter than everyone else. The childlike roundness in his face had given way to that narrower, sharp shape obtained through manhood. His eyes were still that same deep sky blue, but they were a little narrower with the finest of wrinkles at the corners. They made him look wiser and older, yet that bright smile was the same, and it seemed to illuminate everyone and everything around him. Next to him, Trowa was a tall, dark pillar of strength. He had always been that way: quiet, reserved, strong, and reliable. Yet his shoulders had gotten broader and his chin more square. Even his eyes (if you managed to see both of them at the same time) held a dark promise to those who dare harm those he cared about. Together the two made an incredible sight. Wisdom and strength. Light and dark.

But now was not the time to sit there and gape.

"Something wrong, buddy?" I tilted my chin up to meet Wufei's eyes.

His frown deepened and he took a step forward, abs and pectorals jumping in fatigue and, perhaps, irritation. "I'm surprised you've come at all, Maxwell. Given the circumstances, I thought you would have already deemed this mission awkward enough to disappear from the map."

I mentally rolled my eyes. Verbally sparring with Wufei was probable, if not expected, at every meeting. Gratefully, I learned that retorting was much like riding a bike with respect to the fact that you never really forget how. So I cocked my head to the side in a playful way and sighed dramatically, "Yea well, I figured Une would track me down and embed a tracker in my femur if I managed to get out of another mission with you, 'Fei, so this time I decided to stick around. I suppose I've run from you and your bad temper long enough!"

Wufei's brow furrowed, but part of that look seemed confused rather than irked. Those features hardened into anger as he crossed his arms over his chest and growled, "What the hell do you mean?"

"Well, I can't avoid you all the time, Wu Fei. I'm the source of all the good stress in your life," I said matter-of-factly. Hell, I was equally confused. I wasn't even sure why he had been surprised that I had showed up. I always showed up for missions when asked. Hell, half the time I didn't even know what the hell I was getting myself into. I just always trusted Une and her mission planners to give me all the useful info I needed, ran in there, did my job, and returned to HQ as soon as possible.

"Idiot! I think you've been wearing that braid for too long. It's beginning to take root into your brain!" His eyes narrowed. "I meant, why you took the mission!"

Now I was pissed off. What the hell was he implying? That I had been selective with my missions? That, just because I was a Gundam pilot, I have some snobby standards checklist I have to go through before I accept a mission? I never turned down a mission! "Why wouldn't I take the mission? I've never turned one down yet...why should this one be any different? Let's just go, do our business, and get this over with so that I can have my report done by the time my seven o'clock show comes on. That's how they all are."

Well, damn...the look on Wufei's face just seemed to get worse and apparently that look was infectious because now Quatre and Trowa were wearing it as well. Uh oh...was this another classic braid-in-mouth moment for me?

"How can you speak of this so carelessly? Have you no respect," Wufei was turning red now and his breath was coming a little quicker than before. After three pants, though, he seemed to collect himself, clench his jaw and calmly say, "I never thought I would question your honor. Clearly I was wrong. The bonds created during times of extreme hardships apparently mean little more to you than your idiotic television show." And then he was gone.

Damn. I didn't think I deserved that one.

I turned to Quatre and Trowa, who looked very uncomfortable, and asked, "What the hell is up with him? He's worse than I remember!"

"Duo," Quatre murmured reluctantly, "Miss Une really didn't tell you _anything_ about the mission?"

I studied him before replying, "No." I got up and placed my hands on my hips, "But now that my honor has been questioned, my curiosity has gotten the better of me. Anyone care to explain?"

"Duo," Quatre began, holding his hands out to calm me down, "maybe you should calm down fir--"

"Heero's been captured." Trowa said plainly.

My hands dropped, my mouth fell open, and I was magically sitting on the couch again. What the hell? My mouth felt incredibly dry. That couldn't be. Heero was supposed to be on the team with us, stopping meteors, bending steel, and saving the day as always. He wasn't supposed to be captured and held in some cell (probably unconscious because I'm sure if he was awake, he'd be giving them all seven layers of hell). Then I mentally kicked myself. This was a simple retrieval mission. Those were usually cake with an incompetent extract. Having to extract Heero, a more than worthy soldier, would be a breeze, right? My smirk returned. "Is that all? I'm surprised that we needed to be contacted. Heero is enough of a badass to get himself out of there, so we aren't going to have any trouble. What got Dragon Master's undies in a big scaly knot?"

Quatre wrung his hands nervously. Well that wasn't good. Trowa tilted his head so that his bang hid both of his eyes. Very not good. This was serious and a tiny chunk of my brain was just beginning to realize that this was something big. First of all...Heero's never gotten captured. Second, the rest of the fantastic five are here. Third, Une didn't give me any info on the mission...and now that I think about it, she's usually more persistent about it.

"Hey," I continued when the silence became uncomfortable, "It's gonna be cake, right?" The distress on their faces forced me to accept the magnitude of our situation. Those were faces that were prepared for the worst, faces that were prepared to find death. To find Quatre with that expression made me wonder if there was a chance that we might not get to Heero in time. That maybe Heero was already...

My world began to crumble, and I remembered that I had been harboring deep feelings for the man since I was fifteen. I was looking forward to seeing him, making amends after that huge blow-out we had. That blow-out over that stupid, blonde, clingy, manipulative...now's not the time, Maxwell. Instead, I took a deep breath, smoothed out wrinkles on my shirt, and raked a hand through my bangs. My grin was no longer mine, but an old friend's on whom I relied more than any other of the pilots during the war: Shinigami. "Alright then," I sat forward, rested my elbows on my knees, and folded my hands in front of my face, "I want to know everything. Every number, every name, every detail. We're getting out of here and bringing Heero back."

TBC

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	2. Targets

_Note: Here's chapter 2! Thanks to everyone who's still with me. Your reviews and visits mean more that you know! _

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Chapter 2

_"I want to know everything. Every number, every name, every detail. We're getting out of here and bringing Heero back."_

So that is how I found myself in the slowest, most crowded shuttle in the middle of L2, and I figured that was probably another reason why Une left out the details to this interesting little search and rescue. Tangling with bad guys is part of my job, and I've gotten pretty good at it. Then again, I've also gotten somewhat famous amongst the big drug and crime rings and trust me, when they didn't feel like screwing around anymore, people got dead. So far, I had managed to escape a couple of close encounters with both my braid and my ass intact. Still, growing up in the slums of L2 has given me enough street smarts to know not to push your luck too far; and coming to L2 -- the headquarters and birthplace of all of the big colony baddies -- for a mission was pushing, spitting on, and then kicking dirt on every last bit of luck I had. Guaranteed or your credits back. Unable to count on luck, unless it was bad, all I had left were brains. Brains, determination, and three other pissed off ex-Gundam pilots. No complaints here.

The shuttle screeched to a halt and a few people got off. I gazed out of the cracked, filthy window, recognizing a few vendors near the stop and wondering how they would react if they knew that I was traveling with three of the most notorious people on Earth and the Colonies. I figured they'd either avoid me until they were gone, or lose trust in me completely for being a Preventer. You see, not very many people know that little fact about me, and I'd rather keep it that way since all the people I put away keep their eyes and ears open for the 'P' word, especially on their turf. This really hasn't been much of a problem, though. Since I'm staying with Hilde and tend to help her out on the weekends, everyone just assumed I worked with her. Every time Une needed me, we made up some excuse about me going to visit relatives or friends. Just recently, Hilde did me the favor of spreading around the rumor that I did part-time salvage jobs that took me off-colony for weeks. Since then, people have become less interested in me, so I'm able to slip on and off the colony without too many eyebrows being raised.

The shuttle stopped again and I rose to my feet, motioning for the others to follow. Stepping off, I muttered, "Watch your wallets. This is picking-territory." I jammed my hands in the pockets of the long brown coat I was wearing and sighed wearily. Either the climate control was down or they were making a futile attempt at an early winter here. I shook my head and began leading the others through the other yards and toward the one Hilde and I kept. I saw that the light in the house was on and grinned. Ever the late worker, Hilde makes an awesome workaholic.

"Honey, I'm home," I called out playfully through the screen door. She was cooking something and had left the wooden door open in order for the kitchen to air out. I chuckled when I saw her in her sorry excuse for an apron, which was more hole than fabric, hunched over the cutting board with a determined look on her face. It was all I could do to resist the urge to warn her about popping a blood vessel from effort.

She looked up and grinned from ear to ear. "Duo! It's about time you showed up. I thought you were supposed to be here an hour ago."

"Yea, but the damn shuttle. You know how it is. Makes more noise than necessary for the distance it's traveling." I quirked an eyebrow at her, "But how did you know we were coming today? I don't recall emailing you the itinerary."

"Oh, I saw Stan from the ship terminal today. He said he saw your name on the incoming roster and dropped me a hint, but I didn't know that you were going to bring along the guys." Hilde gave the three men behind me another one of her grins before calling out to them. "Hey guys! Long time no see. Please have a seat. It's still early enough for me to prepare for all of us."

"Aww, Hil, you practicing your maternal skills there?" I poked her in the side and she scooted away from my finger with a little squeak.

"Beware, Maxwell," she warned as she brandished a chopping knife in my direction with a smooth gesture. "I will determine whether you are worthy enough for my specially made dinner."

I stuck my tongue out at her childishly and laughed, "You got it right. 'Special' would be one way to describe your cooking, but I suppose it is better than nothing."

A wooden spoon bounced off my head and I spun around to tackle her, but she shook the knife at warning again, an impish smirk on her face. "I warned you not to insult my cooking, Mr. Maxwell."

I snorted in amusement, "The wrath of a woman is a wrath to be feared, but, my dear, you forget who you're dealing with."

"Uhm, Duo?" Quatre's voice startled me a bit. I guess they'd been so quiet that I had actually forgotten about the three men sitting around our cramped little kitchen table.

"What's up, Quat?"

A slight color tinted his cheeks. "It was a long ride. I was wondering if you could show me where the bathroom is."

"Oh, sure thing!" I signaled for him and the others to follow. "I suppose I'd better show you all where it is. Hey Hilde, we'll be back in a jiff. Try not to burn anything while we're gone, 'kay?"

Hilde placed a fist on her hip and leaned against the counter. "I guess you won't have to worry about that, Duo, because you'll be eating out of the garbage can tonight!"

"Thank God!" I called out and shut the screen door quick enough to see the can opener slam against the screen. Close call. Hilde's aim seems to get better every day. Then again, I suppose I do present her with ample opportunities for practice. She should thank me, really, she should...right?

I turned back to the other three and motioned for them to go around the back. "Our bathroom is a bit separated from the house. I know it's inconvenient, but the truth is that it used to be a storage shed. Hil and I converted it into the bathroom when we got too sick and tired of using that pathetic excuse for a broom closet that came with the house." I opened the door for them. Inside, there was a toilet, a large vanity with two sinks, a stand up shower, a bathtub, and a small corner converted into a sauna.

"Oh, Duo. It's wonderful," Quatre gushed, although I'm sure he was just saying it to be polite. Quatre's a rich man. Very rich. So I'm pretty sure he's accustomed to using facilities that are ten times better than anything I'd ever hope to own.

"Uh, thanks, Quatre. Hilde and I tore apart the bathroom in the house so that we could build our own back here. Oh, don't mind the slight construction," I pointed out the tools and a large hole in a corner of the room, "We're planning on getting enough parts to install a Jacuzzi pretty soon. Hilde's really excited about it. She's the one who got it going after deciding that we needed more privacy. One thing led to another, and now we have this." I felt like I was rambling. Partially because the looks I was receiving were rather odd, particularly when I mentioned Hilde.

"Thank you for the tour Duo, but if you don't mind..." Quatre trailed off and rose a slender eyebrow.

"Gotcha, Quat. Okay, everybody out. Gotta let a man do his business privately...that is, unless you need a little help with that," I tossed back, jokingly. Then again, part of me wondered if there was a possibility if he would accept an offer one day, but the way Trowa silently watched me quashed that idea. I wondered if Quatre already knew about his feelings at that point. Both of them were clearly possessive of one another.

As if on cue, Trowa stopped walking. "I think I'll stay behind. I need to use it as well." And with that, he began to head back to the Schbeiker-Maxwell spa. Damn, I'm proud of that room.

Well that just left me and Wufei. Personally, I was feeling quite a bit uncomfortable at that moment. It was only the day before that Wufei basically called me the scum of the known universe with nothing short of a murderous glare in his eye. Of course, I was falsely accused. Hell, how was I to know that Heero had been captured; that this would be the most important mission of my entire Preventer career, and perhaps, my life? You know, give or take the war effort. When Quatre explained to him about my complete ignorance, he nodded in acknowledgement and apologized, yet the apology didn't seem at all heartfelt. He merely spoke the words, continuing to stare at me with distrust, as if he were completely confident that I would have declined the mission had I known the details. Damn. That hurts.

Thinking about it, I don't ever recall a time where Wufei was this distrustful...well, after we became comrades in the war, that is. Before that, it seemed as if he wanted to single-handedly win the war, though I can't say that we all didn't think the same way at one point. It's just extremely difficult to earn the trust and the respect from the Chinese man, which is why, I believe, it hurt me more to know that I was the sucker who lost it.

That's it. I made it my mission -- second in priority to Heero's rescue, of course -- to regain that trust, and find out what the hell made me lose it in the first place.

The five of us had dinner at last, Hilde made some sort of casserole that didn't turn out half-bad, but I really couldn't help myself when I teased her horribly. She would make threats and throw objects at me and we would laugh. That's how we worked, and apparently it was beginning to help the guys loosen up a bit. I'd even find Wufei attempting to hide his little smirks of amusement. All in all, it was a great evening, that is, until she asked the dreaded question.

"So where's Heero? I'm surprised he isn't here with you guys. Did he go on another mission, Duo?" That's my Hil! A great girl...but not the best timing.

Naturally, the genuinely good mood everyone was in seemed to fall flat and we all shifted back into mission mode. I sighed and raked a hand through my bangs. "Well, Hil, we're trying our best to get him back here."

"Oh," she murmured, understanding immediately that she sullied the mood. After dessert, she cleaned up the kitchen (she's such a doll sometimes) and agreed to go out with a close girlfriend of hers for the night. The moment she closed the door behind her, what little cheery feelings that had been accompanying us for the evening followed her, and there was nothing left but the mission.

"So where do we start," I asked them.

"We were hoping that you would be able to tell us," said Wufei as he crossed his arms over his chest. I was beginning to think that little movement was becoming very annoying.

"You mean you don't have any leads?" I looked at the three of them incredulously.

Quatre sighed, "It appears that whoever took Heero from us has nothing to do with the mission he was on at the time of his capture. The only clue they left behind was that they were from L2. Heero's mission was dealing with a ring that originated, and for the most part, remained within the L1 and L3 bounds. We've already checked the system for known criminals booked in this area. The problem is that none of them have been associated with the Malden Cross."

"Malden Cross?"

"It's the name of the group Heero was investigating."

"I see." I folded my hands together in front of my face and rested my forehead on them. "So you guys think that I might know something you all don't?"

"Duo, you have been the main investigator for all of L2's main crime organizations. If you've noticed something...anything that may be out of the usual..."

"I would have reported it to HQ, Quatre. You know that. Every person, every name, every detail can save a person's life. We all know that," I growled. "So you contacted me because you thought that I was with-holding evidence that you all might find useful?" There was a long silence, but it was the blank stare he gave me that drove the steak home. They didn't contact me because I was a friend and fellow pilot. They didn't contact me because they needed my skills. They contacted me because they thought I wasn't doing my job right, with-holding information about some crazy-ass crime operation ring-leader, probably to save my own hide or make some extra credits. I was beginning to understand why Wufei hated me and I didn't like the red anger that suddenly flooded my vision.

It was Trowa who brought me out of that place, "Get your head out of your ass, Duo. We contacted you because you know these people better than we do. We need you to give us your opinion before making any moves." He leaned forward then, "And besides, we wouldn't trust a fellow pilot's life to just anyone." Now, I'd just like to say that Quatre was usually number one when it came to being the group empath, but I've found out that whenever he missed something, Trowa was all over it, usually eliminating the problem before anyone knew it was there. At this point, I wanted to hug the guy. He sent the red haze right back behind the corners of my vision and I was able to understand...what an ass I was being right then and there. Focus on Heero -- I told myself -- then get personal and narcissistic.

"Sorry 'bout that. Point is, you guys can trust that I didn't leave anything out of the reports...and no matter what," I directed my gaze at the frowning Wufei sitting in front of me, "I would always be prepared to do whatever I can for a friend." Wufei's brows furrowed together slightly, but he just snorted in acknowledgement and adjusted his arms where they were resting over his chest. "Now that we got that out of the way, let's think. What was the objective for the group Heero was investigating?"

"Well, it wasn't too big," Quatre said, eyes shifting side to side in thought, "I don't remember anything out of the ordinary since it seemed like a regular drug-smuggling attempt. Heero did have to stake-out the area for months before he was given enough evidence to pin anyone."

"So you guys did stop it," I asked, my eyes playing a little shifting game of their own, trying to remember all the groups on L2 who would be interested in that type of cargo...the list was long.

"Yes, Heero was able to carry out all orders and make sure everything was taken care of. He was captured shortly after the clean-up crews arrived...or so we assume since we were unable to contact him after he delivered final orders." Quatre balled his hands into fists on the table, "That's when the clean-up crew found the vid."

My ears perked, "Vid?"

Trowa nodded once, "That is how we determined he was missing."

"Well, didn't the fact that he wasn't active at cleanup tip you off?" I couldn't help the bitterness in my voice. Yet, the whole incident could have been avoided if only someone would have been paying attention. They might have found Heero before he was taken off the sight.

Quatre sighed, "Actually, there are times when he doesn't participate in cleanup, Duo. Especially after long stake-outs."

I quirked an eyebrow, confused. "Whaddya mean? That doesn't sound like, Mr. Efficient. Last time I worked with him, he pretty much went over everything with a fine-tooth comb and a magnifying glass. Hell, by the end of the night, I was beggin' to go home."

"Yes," Quatre's eyes shifted away in remembrance, "but now, after particularly long missions, he tends to disappear for days, calling in sick. Personally, I think he's stressed out and needs time to- "

Wufei lifted his head and shot an annoyed look at Quatre, "I don't think we need to discuss this. My partner has always worked with the highest performance and I would like to return him to his desk by Monday morning so that we begin on another case. If you don't mind."

My jaw clenched in frustration. Why did it seem like Wufei was keeping something from me, and where was this sudden hostility coming from? "Anyway," I said, rather harshly, "what did the vid say?"

Quatre took out a small notepad and flipped it open about halfway through. I recalled a time where he wouldn't have needed one, when none of us did; where relying on memory alone was necessary, and I repressed a chill that was beginning to crawl down my spine. After thumbing past a few pages, Quatre handed the notepad to me. "An undistinguishable voice said this while the vid played a still of Heero's Preventers ID."

"It's a shame to waste a good soldier. A good soldier is both a machine and a killer, but true justice has room for neither. Since perfect little soldiers need to be put to use or exterminated, we've decided to put things to right." I took a deep breath. I hadn't heard anyone refer to Heero as the "Perfect Soldier" in a long time and the paper in my hands confirmed that they had him.

"How do you know it's from L2?"

"We don't, but we're going by what the message has given us. When it was found, there was a note card attached to it so that the clean up crew didn't miss it. That note card had a distinct smell to the letter and, when it was analyzed, the results suggested that the ink was, in fact, used oil."

Yes, many people in L2 liked to be creative with their used oil and grease, and ink was a fairly popular choice. You could say it's our little trademark. There were venders that made a nice amount of credits doing paintings at someone's request. Many people thoroughly enjoyed them, but personally, I always thought the idea was stupid and the "ink" made everything smell damn bad.

"Alright, I agree that these bastards are probably on L2. Hmn," I racked by brain for anything at all that could be useful. My list of suspects was long, very long, but I couldn't quite pin anyone with a specific motive to go after Heero. If anything, the bastards would be after me since I'm usually the one that ends up booking them and sending them off to a nice little jail cell. Despite my discretion, some of the bigger bosses know me. Fortunately for me, they know my rep too and decide to just accept the wins and losses that come their way. But when they'd win, they'd win, and there was no descretion in their celebration. Sometimes, they would mock me and leave a note...That's when it hit me. "Quatre, what did the card say? You told me that there was a card left with the vid so that the cleanup crew wouldn't miss it. Who did they want it to get to?"

Wufei frowned again, not liking the question, but relieving Quatre of the duty of explanation. "It was addressed to 'Gundam Pilots.'" He saw my eyes widen in realization. "So, Maxwell, now that you know you're walking into a trap, I suppose you fear for your own life?"

I shot him a glare, but only for a second. Could he really not see it? "Well, 'Fei, sorry to burst that ever growing bubble of yours, but I don't think it is a trap."

"What do you mean, Duo," Quatre clutched his notepad tightly.

"Well, I don't think it's a trap at all. It's a warning. If it was a trap, they would have left us something more for us to go on. L2 can be a pretty big place when it comes to looking for someone, especially if someone with half a brain is trying to hide him...and, knowing our reputations, this guy, he's got brains. Either that or he's got confidence. Both of those things can be dangerous, given that he has the right connections."

"Spoken like a true idiot," Wufei growled. "Why would they leave a warning if they didn't want us to pursue them? Knowing that we're Gundam pilots, they should also know that we've been working with the Preventers for several years now. We are no longer the children we used to be and we have dealt with other, equally crazy people like this before. They really shouldn't take us lightly."

"I'm not saying that they're taking us lightly, Wufei." I bit my lip, my worry, not for myself, but for Heero growing. "I'm telling you that he doesn't sound like a guy who's into the chase. They didn't give us conditions or reasons, they just singled us out and made sure we would informed of Heero's capture. That message sounded like a warning, not a trap, because he seems too confident that nothing could go wrong with his plans. Now, since it was addressed to us, it must mean that Heero isn't his only target." My hands found their way through my bangs again, gripping down on the soft hair near the scalp before continuing their track down my face. "I think...I think this guy knows what he's doing, and I think that his next target is going to be one of us. So if he has another target, there's no reason for him to keep the first one around. Especially if he wants to eliminate all of us."

Trowa sat up in his chair and Wufei stared at a spot on the table, hard. Quatre flipped open his notepad and slowly read the words, "Since perfect little soldiers need to be put to use or exterminated, we've decided to put things to right.' We need to find Heero," He cast a meaningful look at Trowa, "and we need to stop these bastards before someone else falls victim to them."

"Namely, us," I growled, "Since we are the targets, we have to be specifically careful with our actions. Slipping up would be like delivering ourselves to their front step with a pretty, red bow on our asses." I paused for emphasis, but partially from hesitation since I was more reluctant to say these words than anything else. "There's something about this that gives me the creeps. I don't know, but I think we need to be prepared to break protocol." My glance shifted to Wufei, since I felt he would be the most displeased with my suggestion. "Despite what you might believe, I don't feel comfortable with it anymore than you do, but I'm getting a feeling about this one. It's the same feeling that I used to get back in the war and my gut tells me that we need to fight and act accordingly."

Everyone looked at each other. It had been seven, close to eight years since the war, and we each had grown accustomed to the significantly less difficult missions that Une tossed at us. None of them were as heavy or uncertain as even the simplest mission, when armed with a Gundam. I was hoping the guys understood what I was trying to say. The last damn thing I needed was for everyone to think I needed to be stripped from my badge and my ability to help rescue Heero. During the war, and even the three years after during which we still worked together, they wouldn't have second guessed my opinion. Apparently three years of absence can put a lot of strain on the trust built in just about the same amount of time. This was strain we couldn't afford right now, despite their distrust...so you can imagine the look on my face when Wufei was the first to speak up.

"For once, I completely agree with Maxwell. I don't believe Yuy has gotten careless since the war, and it would take someone with careful strategy and manpower to capture him. Although I wouldn't recommend or agree with completely violating Preventer protocol, I'm sure Une will give us some leeway if we give her a heads up on what we're dealing with."

"I agree as well," Quatre said as he placed a long-fingered hand over his heard. "Even before Duo suggested it, something about this triggered something that I haven't felt since the war. We must be prepared and proceed with caution, but we must also act quickly. I can contact Une tonight; she gave me a private line to use to keep her updated with the mission."

"Perfect," I covered a fist with my other hand in satisfaction and grinned, "I know a place where we can begin investigating in the morning. The market by the station is usually best for gossip, so I suggest we start there. At dawn, we head out and try to collect as much information as possible, and report back at noon to share details with the others." My grin faded. "And I mean everything, you guys. We can't withhold anything from one another if we want to get to Heero as quickly as possible, not to mention save our own asses!" I took a breath before continuing, "Now, is there anything else about the mission that you guys forgot to tell me?"

Quatre sighed and ran a hand through his hair before looking up at Trowa and saying, "I'm afraid that's all we know. Sorry, Duo. I guess our lack of knowledge on the situation, coupled with the fact that it caught us completely off-guard, kind of has us all riled up. We didn't mean to keep anything from you, and we won't forget to keep everyone informed of every little detail in the future."

"A message, your only clue, is a pretty big detail, Quat," I grumbled before I stood, murmuring a goodnight to the three, and headed for the couch to feign sleep. After an hour or so of restless tossing and turning on the couch, I figured it would be safe enough to leave without alerting one of the others. I knew that sneaking out of the house alone in the middle of the night wasn't the smartest thing in the world. In fact, I was downright stupid; probably the equivalent of walking into an OZ base with a bright red bull's-eye on my forehead, especially on L2, but I needed answers before news got out that I was the one who brought the "strangers" into town. People tended to clam up when newcomers were around since they were usually Preventer agents set out to shut down some small, illegal business they were running. The fact that the locals were completely unaware of my being an agent, along with the trust that I had earned by living with Hilde, usually had them talking my ear off before I knew what hit me. That, along with my incredible charm, is how I was able to wrap up the cases as quickly as they could hand them to me...not to brag about it or anything. Hopefully, they would be especially talkative tonight, specifically about any newcomers or businesses that had set up while I was gone.

The place I was going was especially well-known for gossip. Then again, what else were prostitutes supposed to do while they waited for a customer to pay for a quick roll in the sack? I had done some undercover investigating in this section before, so some of the girls who already knew me squealed in delight, waving me over. Man, if only they knew the type of equipment I preferred...they'd probably cry or rip my braid off.

"Hey, Ladies," I purred. "Long time no see."

"Duo!" A particularly interested girl, Jamie, who had absurdly large breasts for such a small creature, half-bounced, half-sauntered over to me and put her arms around my waist in a tight hug. "Are you buying tonight? I can give you the best price!"

I gave her a cheeky grin, "Now, now, Jamie. Be patient, how could I possibly choose between all you lovely women? I just wanted to come visit you gorgeous ladies after my trip. Are you all doing well? Nobody's come and tried to cause trouble for my girls, have they?"

The three other women standing nearby decided to join in, getting their own greeting and propositioning done. It was always the same. They offer, I decline, they offer again, I decline again, and then the gossiping begins. Yet, this time, Jamie had other plans. She pouted in a way that, I'm sure, was perfected through practice and her eyes began to get glossy. I wiped a tear from her eye and cooed, "Aww, what's wrong with my Jamie?"

"Humph!" She glared at me and turned to the other women, "Let's face it, we're obviously not pretty enough for Duo. He never wants to--"

"Jamie," I cut in, but she pouted more and began to sniffle.

"Hey!" A voice suddenly rang out. "Quit picking on whores and let them do their job."

I swiveled around, my braid flopping against my back, to see the newcomer and promptly froze at what I saw. My heart stopped and the blood drained from my face in an instant. "He...Heero..."

TBC


	3. Remembering

_Hello readers! First of all, I would like to humbly express my gratitude for those of you who have stuck by this seemingly abandoned fic. The story behind my year of absence is that I had a good portion of the next chapters my fics written and saved on a disk…a disk that mysteriously disappeared. I lost a considerable amount of my progress along with the heart and motivation to type it up all over again. I am so, very sorry to those of you who were kind enough to read and comment, requesting a quick update. In fact, I recently visited and reread the comments you left and I believe they gave me the motivation to prod the brain muses awake and get working again. I am sorry to have kept you waiting and can only hope to make it up to you all in my future chapters. Thank you again!_

* * *

_My heart stopped and the blood drained from my face in an instant. "He...Heero..."_

The figure moved forward from his place in the shadows of the alley, but as the light hit him, I realized that it wasn't Heero at all. The man stalked toward me with a glare cold enough to flash freeze, a familiar glare, and I think I forgot to breathe. As he approached, I felt rushing warmth on my face and at the pit of my stomach; a warmth I hadn't felt in years. No, this man was not Heero, but he came pretty damn close.

Before I could think of anything to say, Jamie attached herself to his waist and flashed her wide, blue eyes at him. "Kale, am I not pretty enough for customers?"

"'Course you are! You're the prettiest little thing on the colony! Who the hell said you weren't?" He cast a meaningful glare at me. "Is this guy bothering you girls?"

Realizing that she might lose me as a potential customer, she shook her head innocently. "No, Kale...It's just that he never buys! He makes me think I'm not pretty enough. You think I'm pretty, right, Kale? You'll be paying tonight, right?"

"Don't listen to her, Kale. She just likes being a damn baby for attention," Greta, a wiry red-head who assumed the position of the leader popped into the conversation, taking a long drag from her cigarette. Jamie scowled in her direction. "Duo likes to keep us company. He doesn't bother us much," she flashed me a cheeky grin before continuing, "and tends to keep things peaceful. Kinda like you do."

Kale looked at me again, that cold stare scanning me, trying to find something that disproved Greta's words. Apparently, he didn't find anything because after a moment, his mouth formed a small, friendly smile. "Well, I suppose if Greta says you're okay, then you're okay. I'm just surprised there's another soul on this world that cares about the ladies here."

I found my voice shortly after I found my composure and returned the smile. "Well, I was born on L2, so I know what kind of shit happens down here. Just doing my part as one of the last decent citizens on this damned colony."

Kale chuckled, and I liked that sound. It was low and throaty, much how I imagined Heero's would be. His skin was fair, contrasting against the dark fall of his hair which tumbled over his sharp, green eyes. His grin looked well practiced, revealing white, straight teeth. He reached out a well toned arm to shake my hand and I accepted it with my own, if not hesitantly. "Well, it seems that the Earth and colonies have hope after all if there are people like you and me around...Duo, was it?"

"Uh, yea, Kale, right?"

"Right," he smiled again and some part of me melted. Although his demeanor was completely different, there was something about his face and stare that pulled at my heart-strings.

By the time we were acquainted --though, not as well as I would have liked to be-- the girls were in pursuit of a small group of young men looking to have some fun. Which meant that Kale and I were alone and I wasn't getting any information tonight.

I sighed, "Well, I guess they'll be doing alright with those guys."

"Yea, there's hardly any trouble here anymore." There was a long pause as we began walking down the street. "So, Duo, you never buy?"

I chuckled, "Nah, I guess Jamie's starting to get impatient with me. What about you?"

He gave me a sweet smile, "No, I couldn't touch them. I see them more like sisters. Very crude, very sexual sisters."

"Yea, calling them 'whores' is a very brotherly thing to do," I joked and he laughed loudly.

"Oh, they'll probably get me pretty good for that one. I won't be hearing the end of it for weeks, but they have to understand I have to keep the macho look to potential threats."

"Threats? You see me as a threat?" I made my eyes as large and innocent as I could. His laughter rang out in the night around us, and I realized I liked the sound of that, too.

"When their old pimp died, there was some chaos going on around here. A lot of they guys would take what they wanted without paying."

"Yea, I remember that. Wasn't too far back, a maybe three or four months ago."

"Right. Well, their new pimp gives me some extra creds to make sure that the customers act accordingly, so you could say I'm their unofficial bodyguard. I think all of them see me as one, too...well, except for Jamie. Then again, she sees anything with a wallet as a customer."

I laughed with him, "Yea I guess she does, but there are times when she almost makes me believe that she has genuine feelings for me!"

"Yea, sometimes I'd think it'd break her little heart if she found out I was--" he stopped and shot a nervous glance at me to see if I had caught that. I had. Kale sighed and ran a hand through his hair in an embarrassed fashion, "Please don't tell them."

I began laughing again and could barely stop until he shot me a mortified look. "Don't worry," I gave him a wide grin, wiping at my eyes, "I won't tell if you won't." It was only after the words left my mouth that I regretted them instantly. It wasn't like me to give away such personal information to a complete stranger, especially when I was in the middle of a mission. A mission, in which, I was a primary target. I blamed it on his resemblance to Heero, blamed it on the fact that my world was completely off-kilter, and blamed it on my libido for setting my loins on fire. Damned arsonist libido.

It didn't help that when I met Kale's eyes again, he was surprised, yet pleased. Yea, in my interpretation of horny-man-speak, that meant he was interested in me, too. "Small world," he said behind a shy smile. "So what do you do, if you don't mind me asking?"

I glanced around the area before answering, "I work with a friend in the salvage business. I'm usually off-colony on some retrieval jobs, so people don't see much of me anymore. What about you? You can't be living solely on what you get paid for keeping the girls out of trouble, right?"

Kale made a slight, thoughtful pout while he gazed up at the stars. The chill was making his cheeks noticeably flushed, despite the dim lighting, and I couldn't help but try to remember the color Heero's cheeks turned during cold, snowy missions. "Me," he said after a long pause, "I guess you could call me a job-hopper. I don't have anything stable, but I do get many offers, mostly because I'm an honest, hard worker. Right now I'm playing bodyguard, working part-time at the big salvage yard next to the station, and trying to get adjusted to this whole OR thing I just got initiated into."

My eyebrow rose. OR? I had certainly never heard of them before. "Initiated?" I prodded. "Sounds like some extreme fraternity! I hope you didn't have to run a couple of laps around the community naked. In some places, the air is so thick, it's caustic, and you'd end up coughing up a lung before finishing!"

He stopped and sat down on a bench by the walkway, patting the empty place next to him in invitation. "No, no, Duo. It's nothing like that...Besides, if I got naked, they'd be the ones who'd be embarrassed!"

I hesitated before sitting down, chuckling politely while my eyes scanned the surroundings carefully. I didn't like the way my guard dropped around this guy, yet I couldn't help but want to speak to him, to touch him, to invoke small moans of passion from him and see exactly why those guys would be embarrassed if he got naked...Down, Maxwell, down. It was difficult for me to fully take hold of my thoughts and actions and I knew that would get me killed before I even got a sniff in the right direction towards Heero. He didn't seem to notice my hesitation because he simply kept talking.

"...since I joined the Organization of the Rose, it managed to open a lot of doors for me. You'd be surprised how much better people treat you when they see you're part of a dominant organization on the colony."

My mental confusion got tossed aside in a second when I heard that name. Organization of the Rose? Now why the hell did that make my skin crawl? It sounded too familiar, too close to a person and his ideals; a person who, I knew, was already long dead. It suddenly wasn't so difficult to keep my guard up and that's when I knew that I was getting damned close to finding Heero. All I needed to do was keep this guy talking, charm him without being charmed, and coax every little tidbit of info I could get out of the poor guy. I would have to thank the girls; they always managed to have something to do with me striking investigation-gold.

"You have gorgeous eyes."

That comment startled me out of my train of thought and I found myself looking straight into large, green eyes. Eyes that reminded me a lot of Trowa's, calm, dark gaze, yet the piercing way they looked at me reminded me of Heero again and I blushed hotly under them. "Uh, thanks, yours aren't so bad either."

"Thank you, but yours are such a unique color," he seemed to think a while, "I don't think I've ever seen anyone with this color before. I kind of wish I had inherited eyes like this, that way I'd be able to pick people up with a glance. You must get hit on a lot."

I chuckled nervously, again, and I couldn't help but notice that it was because of him. He had reduced me, Duo Maxwell, ex-terrorist and Gundam Pilot, to a giggling school-boy. I quickly found my voice and a small chunk of my suddenly absent wit and replied, "Well, aren't you a charmer! Do you do this to every guy that comes around this corner of the colony?"

He stopped his advancement and his eyes went very wide and round, much like Quatre's do whenever he gets his hand caught in the cookie-jar. Kale parted his lips -- which were extremely sexy, by the way -- as if he were about to defend himself, but something flashed in his eyes and the sly grin returned. "Only the guys that I find worth _doing _it to."

My ears picked up the slight emphasis on 'doing' and I was mortified when I felt my face flush again...which, of course, did absolutely nothing to help the color of my cheeks. He advanced another inch and I found myself retreating on the bench, sliding away the same distance he did. What had gotten into me? This wasn't my usual carefree, cool behavior. Kale was right about people hitting on me left and right, but never, in my entire life, had I been reduced to the goo that he was turning me into right now. The nighttime darkness, along with the dim streetlamps danced across his features as he moved closer, and the result was simply breathtaking. His hair hid his eyes and fell across his high-cheekbones and I realized that I was staring at Heero again. Heero, with enough sexual aggression rolling off of him to compete with my own screaming needs. It was a dream that I had almost every night during the war; a dream that I still had, yet never expected to be encountered with, and I felt as though the blood from every inch of my body decided to gather in an area that suddenly felt too confined in the jeans I was wearing. Well, at least I didn't have to worry about it rushing to my face anymore.

My back hit the armrest and I realized that I had no more room to scoot away from the man who was almost upon me. Then again, I'm not sure my intense need to give in would have allowed me to retreat any further anyway. He was close enough, now, that I could feel his breath softly falling on my own lips, and the warmth of his bicep brushed against my arm which sent more sensations straight to my aching groin.

I remember wondering how the hell I had gotten myself into such a state, and I remember not caring, but most of all, I remember the face he made when we both suddenly heard Janie's voice calling out for us from around the corner. It was a face of loss; a face of embarrassment, but primarily, it was a face of complete and utter frustration as he pulled away. I laughed at the thought and he looked up to meet my eyes. After a second, Kale managed to match my smile and I knew my face was probably mirroring his own frustrated expression.

"I," he began, but Janie came 'bouncing' around the corner and heading straight for us.

"I thought I heard your laugh, Duo," she cooed. "It's always very thick and loud, very manly." She bent over in a "cute" pose, but clearly with the intensions of showing off her greatest assets which were already peaking through a low cut shirt.

"Well, thank you, Jamie. I'm glad someone app--" I cut myself off with a grunt as Jamie unexpectedly plopped herself right down on my lap.

"What was it that you were saying Du--" It was her turn to cut herself off when she felt the definite evidence of my aroused state. Her eyes grew as wide as saucers as wriggled around on my lap for a second to make sure. Upon confirming that my bulge was what it was, she looked at me curiously. "Duo?"

Once again, I was mortified. Yet the way she clung to me made me smile and put on a playful pout. "Well, what do you expect? I'm still young and my body likes to react to things it likes." Jamie squealed with joy at this, yet Kale shot a sideways glance at me and tugged uncomfortably at his shirt, the skin at his neckline flushing pink.

"So you thinking about buying tonight, Duo," Jamie asked hopefully, rubbing against my softening erection with her thigh.

I shifted, sitting her down on the bench between myself and Kale, and stood. "Maybe next time, doll. Until then, you might wanna keep those covered. Wouldn't want you to get sick." I adjusted her flimsy coat over her exposed cleavage, feeling uncomfortable under both her gaze and Kale's. "I, on the other hand, better get back home. I have to be up in a few hours to get some work done, but I promise I'll be back soon to visit you all." I turned to Kale and lifted a hand in a wave. "Nice meeting you, Kale."

Kale's gaze slowly swept over me and I felt myself get hard again, "It was a pleasure meeting you, too, Duo. I hope we can talk again very soon." And with that, he stood, pulling his jacket over his own erection and turning to Jamie, "Come on, we'd better get back to the other girls." Pouting, the girl followed and they were gone.

Man, was that smooth. Usually I made sure I was the one to take my leave before everyone. It helps me gain more sexual attraction, but the sexy bastard beat me to it, making me the last. He was good, too good, I thought as I repressed a shiver that was only partially from the cold, shoved my hands deep inside my coat pockets, and headed home.

* * *

The moment I got home, Wufei was already standing outside, disapproval just rolling off of him. Great, I thought to myself, just when I thought I was gonna get some sleep.

"And just where the hell have you been, Maxwell," he asked coldly. He had already washed, dressed, and pulled his hair back into that impossibly tight ponytail he always wore. I couldn't help but wonder if he ever took it off, and if not, whether it was the sole source of his irritability.

"Out. I'll tell you guys later. I really need some sleep."

Wufei sputtered angrily before finally collecting himself to say, "What do you mean, sleep? We have a schedule, Maxwell. One that you set and you're telling me that you're not going to follow it?"

"Can it, Chang. I've had a long night, and I can't put up with your bullshit this early in the morning."

Wufei began one of his sputtering attacks again when Quatre flew out of the doorway and wrapped his arms around me. "Oh, Duo! You're alright! Thank Allah you've returned safely!"

"Of course I did, Quat. What makes you think I'd suddenly take off?" There was a slight tone of bitterness in my response.

Quatre didn't seem to catch it, though, because he just continued hugging me tightly. "I decided to check up on you and see if I could apologize again, but you weren't on the couch or anywhere in the house. When we couldn't find you, we thought the worst!"

Guilt for thinking to accuse him of anything except being a concerned friend instantly hit me and I wrapped my arms around Quatre in a tight embrace. "Sorry about that Quat, I just thought that I might try to get some info before people began wondering who you all are. News travels fast here and I didn't want anyone giving me false info just because they're scared about sacrificing their own ass." My eyes scanned the neighborhood near the yard for any eavesdroppers. None. "Let's all go back inside. I'm gonna take a shower, have a cup of java and tell you what I know."

Quatre pulled away slightly in order to look up at me with his large, blue eyes. Looking back, I no longer found the uncomfortable look he used to give me back in the war. His gaze was calm and analyzing, yet nurturing and concerned and he studied me like that for a moment before smiling his angelic smile and agreeing. "Alright, Duo, take your time. Since Hilde isn't here, I can make us all some breakfast before we head out."

Oh yea, that's another reason why I loved having Quatre around back in the day...the man could cook his way out of Hell if he chose to do so.

As I released him and pulled back from our embrace, which was -- to my surprise -- oddly comforting, I saw Trowa leaning against the doorjamb with a look on his face that made it seem like he had just tasted something extremely unpleasant. Gee, three guesses why. Understanding immediately, my hands quickly pulled away from the smaller pilot and jammed themselves in my coat pocket. "Well, thanks for your concern guys. I promise to inform you the next time I go out, so can I please go take my shower now?"

Quatre nodded, Wufei snorted, and Trowa had already slipped back inside the house. That seemed like a 'yes' to me, so off I went, heading toward the Schbeiker/Maxwell spa, my body begging for a nice long shower.

As I gathered my clothes and toiletries, my mind drifted back to the mission. What was the Organization of the Rose? I hadn't had the time or the mental capacity to ask Kale what its purpose was, but there was a tingling in my gut that told me that it would definitely lead us to Heero. Of course, thinking of Kale, I was reminded of his bold actions back on the bench and could already feel a different tingling, as my loins tightened at the thought of what would have happened had we been left alone.

My hand reached for the faucet, turning on the hot water before the cold; it was far too cold outside to take a cold shower. Besides, a certain part of my anatomy was screaming for attention, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to get anything done if I blue-balled it the whole day.

Stepping inside the shower, the cloud of steam billowed up and surrounded me, fogging up the glass door. It was deliciously warm, and I stayed under the intense spray for a few seconds before my hand slowly made it's descent down my torso, tweaking my left nipple as it fell. My breath began to increase as I remembered Kale's strong shoulders leaning over me. The intense, familiar features that allowed him to resemble Heero made me groan, wondering what it would feel like to have the man I admired so much in the war run his hands over me. I could imagine a hand, rougher than my own, over my stomach, stroking my side, softly scratching up my inner thigh. I was in no mood for teasing, though, so my hand -- his hand -- traveled upward to brush against my length. It twitched at the slight contact and flushed a deeper red as I encircled my member with my long fingers and began a slow, steady rhythm. The feeling of my own hand, coupled with the hot water and images of Heero, created an intensely erotic feeling and it wasn't long before my hand was pumping my cock with the delicious assistance of the precum oozing out of the slit. I tossed my head back at the new sensation it gave, which allowed the water to hit my exposed neck, and could imagine Heero's perfect mouth there, sucking, biting, licking wherever the water hit. My hand moved faster and I was forced to lean against the wall.

Dream Heero was very aggressive.

My hips began to thrust excitedly into my hand as I squeezed myself and roughly rubbed the head with my thumb. So close. Dream Heero was close, also. The hand on my cock slowed as the other reluctantly left my right nipple and rubbed against the tip of my erection, smearing the precum all over my fingers. I slipped to my knees then as those digits searched for my entrance, rubbing against the tight ring of muscle before teasing their way inside. I pumped my hand faster and the fingers inside me began to curl inward, brushing against my prostate in time with my strokes. So good. I spread my legs wider and gasped as the fingers gained better access and all the nerves in my cock ignited. "Heero...harder," I groaned as I thrusted against my hands, writhing in pleasure. My cock twitched a final time before I came, hard, and collapsed on the tile floor.

I had always dreamed and wanted Heero, but it had been a long time since we had spoken. The years I spent away from him had already dulled the pain of not having him, so I wasn't prepared for the sudden ache I felt in my chest. Meeting Kale had reopened wounds that had taken a long time to heal; wounds that would make this mission so much harder.

TBC


End file.
